Marshmallows have grown to become a huge part of people’s childhoods, thanks to their prevalence in all-American snacks such as s’mores, Rice Krispie Treats, and Peeps, but there is more to these fluffy sweets than meets the eye! In a fascinating Hub titled Marshmallows – Sweet Treats, Recipes and Herbal Origins, AliciaC shared a lot of the…
Read MoreTips on Self-Optimization
Do you know what self-optimization is? It involves analyzing your current body of work, evaluating the most successful pieces, and working on more pieces that are similar to those successful hits. Listen in to this week’s Online Writing Insider podcast (Self-Optimization for Writers) to get some self-optimization tips from the pros. We’ve got advice on how…
Read MoreSmurf Smuggling
Carolus may be one of HubPages’ newest fiction authors, but he has already written several awesome fiction Hubs. Among them is Smurf Smuggling, a hilarious piece on the illicit and illegal transport and use of Smurfs. As an added bonus, Carolus created this recording of Smurf Smuggling– complete with awesome voices! I love what he’s…
Read MoreMass Hysteria
What do fan deaths, koro, and the monkey man of New Delhi have in common? They are all associated with mass hysteria! Mass hysteria has plagued the human race of centuries, and as advanced as we might be, we still fall prey to this odd collective behavior. One might even argue that thanks to the…
Read MoreOn Writing Well: How to Handle Literary Influences
As aspiring writers, we all wish that we could write like the literary giants, many of whom we have admired for most of our lives. Yet, when it comes down to starting work of our own, we are often uncertain of how to handle these influences of the literary heroes whose work we have read…
Read MoreWriting Marathons – A Great Way to Kickstart Your Career
If you are trying to kickstart your career as a novelist, poet, freelance writer, blogger, or columnist, you should consider taking on a writing challenge! Writing marathons, just like running marathons, are very challenging, but are exceedingly rewarding. Listen in to this week’s Online Writing Insider podcast (Writing Marathons) for some advice on embarking on…
Read MoreThe Seer
For the grand finale of the scary short story series we have been running on the Fascinating Fiction podcast this month, we have a very special episode! As a Halloween treat, we have Aficionada reading The Seer, a fantastic Hub by WillStarr. I hope you enjoy it! Big thanks to WillStarr for the great story…
Read MoreNothing on the Other Side
There is something utterly fascinating about doors, be they serving as entrances to spaceships or covers of old, dusty wardrobes. Paradigmsearch explores the fun plot device offered by the humble door- along with much, much more- in this excellent Hub! For those who like listening to stories as much as they like reading them, here’s…
Read MoreTheodore Shade
Though known primarily for his Emerland Wells Cafe series on HubPages (which has already been featured in the Fascinating Fiction podcast series), mckbirdbks also writes the occasional stand-alone short story. One of these is Theodore Shade- a somewhat dark vignette that builds up an impressive amount of tension. Have a listen! If you don’t have time…
Read MoreOn Writing Well: 6 Tips on a Successful Public Reading.
For a lot of writers, the idea of public speaking is terrifying. They are a lot more comfortable with being behind the scenes, writing and editing. But there are many advantages to reading your own work out loud to receptive strangers. You get to engage with an audience, your work is heard, and you might…
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